The Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter is the knife you buy when you know exactly what you want and why you want it. CPM-S30V stainless, full tang, high ground drop point blade, contoured green G10 handle, leather sheath with a ferro rod loop. Made in Oregon. The best production bushcraft knife available.
Who it's for
Experienced bushcrafters who want the best available production knife and are prepared to invest in diamond sharpening equipment. If this is your first knife, buy the Morakniv Companion first and use it for a full season. If you already have that season under your belt and know you want S30V stainless with full tang: this is the answer.
How we assessed
Assessment is based on published specifications, manufacturer data, and consensus from experienced practitioners. Field testing data referenced from multiple independent reviews. Not personally tested by our team. See our methodology.
In the field
Steel and edge retention
S30V is a powder metallurgy stainless steel designed for premium knife applications. It holds an edge noticeably longer than 1095 or similar carbon steels, fewer sharpening sessions per trip, more consistent performance over extended use. The trade-off is sharpening equipment: S30V requires diamond stones to sharpen properly. Standard whetstones will work eventually but are significantly less efficient. Budget $30-50 for a quality diamond plate alongside this knife.
Handle and fit
The contoured green G10 scales are durable and comfortable for extended use. G10 is a glass fibre laminate, so it shrugs off water and temperature swings and keeps its grip when wet. The fit and finish are visibly above most production knives at any price: the grind is consistent, the handle scales are tight, the transitions are clean. This is what $185 buys over a $35 Mora.
The sheath
Leather sheath with a ferro rod loop and a snap retention strap. Both are functional: the leather quality is decent, the ferro rod included is basic but works. Better than most production sheaths at any price.
Benchmade 162: blade, tang and build
The 162 carries a 4.43 in (112 mm) drop point blade, 0.164 in (4.2 mm) thick at the spine, 9.15 in (232 mm) overall, at roughly 7.7 oz (219 g) for the knife on its own. Benchmade calls the profile a high ground drop point. The primary bevel starts well up the blade, higher than a scandi but not a full flat, with a small secondary bevel behind the edge. Designer Shane Sibert set it up that way deliberately: you give up a little of the scandi carving bite and get an edge that holds together through knots and batoning. If grind terminology is new to you, our guide to bushcraft knife grinds explains what each one does to the cut.
Construction is full tang, with the steel running the whole length of the handle and the contoured G10 scales pinned over it with titanium tubing and a red spacer. G10 is a glass fibre laminate rather than the linen or canvas Micarta used on many bushcraft knives: a little harder in the hand, unaffected by water, and it keeps its texture when wet. The blade is CPM-S30V run at 58 to 60 HRC, a powder steel with enough vanadium and chromium to resist both wear and rust. The knife is made in Oregon, and every Benchmade carries a lifetime warranty plus LifeSharp, the factory service that returns the knife to a factory edge for free for as long as you own it. That service matters more than it sounds on a steel most people find awkward to sharpen at home.
Versus the ESEE-4 ($130): the ESEE uses 1095 carbon which sharpens more easily in the field, has a full lifetime warranty, and costs $55 less. The Benchmade offers better steel (S30V holds longer), no rust concerns, and better fit and finish. See the ESEE-4 review for the full comparison. Versus the Mora Garberg ($85): the Garberg is a dramatically simpler knife at $100 less. Same scandi grind principle, same full tang structure, much easier to sharpen. For most bushcraft use, the Garberg covers 90% of what the Benchmade does. The Benchmade earns its price for the remaining 10%, edge retention and finish quality.
How it compares on price
Think of the 162 as the top of a ladder rather than a knife without rivals. At the bottom, the Morakniv Companion is the roughly $22 benchmark that does most of the same jobs with a plastic sheath and a stick tang, and it is still the knife we tell people to wear out first. In the middle, the Mora Garberg adds the full tang for well under half the Benchmade price. The ESEE-4 is the 1095 carbon alternative for anyone who values sharpening a knife on a rock over never thinking about rust, which is really the carbon versus stainless question in disguise. For everything either side of those, see the best bushcraft knives roundup.
One practical note on cost: Benchmade has moved the Bushcrafter line on to newer model numbers, so the 162 in its original green G10 form is increasingly old stock or secondhand. Prices move around accordingly, sometimes below the original street price and sometimes well above it. Check what it is actually selling for today before you weigh it against anything else, and compare current listings rather than trusting an old MSRP.
Sharpening and care
The vanadium carbides that give S30V its edge retention are harder than the abrasive in a standard aluminium oxide stone, which is why a normal whetstone feels like it is polishing rather than cutting. Use diamond plates or a good ceramic rod. A coarse and fine diamond pair plus a strop loaded with compound will keep a 162 sharp for years. Work in light strokes at a consistent angle and stop as soon as you raise a burr: pressing harder does not move S30V faster, it just rounds the apex. If you would rather not own the kit at all, send it in on LifeSharp once a season.
Stainless is not rustproof. Leave the blade wet, or leave fruit acid, sap or salt on it overnight, and S30V will spot. Wipe and dry it after use and put a light film of oil on it before it goes into storage. The leather sheath needs its own attention: let it air dry at room temperature, never next to a fire, and treat it with a leather conditioner once or twice a year. Storing a damp knife inside a damp sheath is the most reliable way to stain a stainless blade.
Should you buy it?
Yes, if you have been using a quality knife for at least a year and want the best production option. No, if this is your first knife. No, if you prefer field-sharpenable carbon steel over high-performance stainless. The 162 Bushcrafter is not the right knife for everyone: it is the right knife for a specific, experienced user who has earned the preference.
Common questions
Is the Benchmade 162 worth the price?
Only in a narrow case: you already know from experience that you want stainless, you sharpen (or send knives in for sharpening) rather than replace them, and the fit and finish are worth paying for on their own. Nothing the 162 does is impossible on a knife costing a fifth as much. What you buy is longer intervals between sharpenings, a sheath you will not immediately replace, and a warranty behind it.
What steel is the Benchmade 162?
CPM-S30V, a powder metallurgy stainless steel, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC. The CPM part refers to the process that spreads the carbides evenly through the steel, which is what lets it be both hard and reasonably tough.
Is S30V good for bushcraft?
Yes, with one condition. It holds an edge far longer than 1095 and does not need rust care, which suits wet climates and long trips. The condition is sharpening: you need diamond or ceramic abrasives, and a field touch up on a random flat stone will not go well. If you expect to maintain the knife with whatever is in your pack, carbon steel is the easier choice.
Is the Benchmade 162 full tang?
Yes. The tang runs the full length and width of the handle, with the G10 scales pinned to it through titanium tubing. There is no hidden or partial tang and no rat tail to snap under load.
Can you baton with the 162?
Yes, within its size. At 4.43 in of edge and 0.164 in of spine, it splits wood up to roughly its own blade length comfortably, and reviewers report it going through wrist thick to arm thick rounds without complaint. Batoning a knife this size through seasoned hardwood much larger than that is a job for an axe or a saw.
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